


Card of Safe Return

by tatersalad5001



Series: D.D.R. - Different Dimension Reincarnation [3]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Gen, Healing, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:15:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23524459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatersalad5001/pseuds/tatersalad5001
Summary: What tripped up Yuri more than anything about his new life was the freedom. Anyone could do anything, anyone could be anything! What people did with their lives was their choice, and they were allowed to approach their goals in the way that best suited to them. Find what makes you happy and do that for the rest of your life! But freedom was a completely foreign concept to him.He picked up his backpack, but before he started walking again, something hit him in the face. It almost looked like a tiny green person with tiny purple eyes.“What the f—“
Series: D.D.R. - Different Dimension Reincarnation [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1391275
Comments: 1
Kudos: 25





	Card of Safe Return

Life was...strange now. Weird.

Yuri was given a completely different set of battle plans on the battlefield, and changing tactics was hard.

In comparison to the life he’d lived up to now, the life that Yuri was expected to live now felt completely foreign. Far from normal. School was completely different, home life was different in that he actually had one. Friendship was actually encouraged and expected of him now, instead of rejected. And it was hard to admit, but... Yuri was really good at living up to his old expectations, but these new ones were hard.

Before, Yuri knew exactly what was expected of him and what he was supposed to be because it was strictly outlined for him. He was a weapon for the academy, a tool for the Professor. He was also the Professor’s worst nightmare and greatest fear. Something about him was inherently evil and horrible, and apparently, it was impossible for Yuri to change that. So, fine. Yuri was supposed to be the monster? He gave the Professor exactly what he wanted. He carried out orders to perfection, kidnapped or hurt or carded anyone he was told to. And he enjoyed it. Life itself was a war where only the strongest survived, and Yuri was strong, so why shouldn’t he enjoy that? He knew what was expected of him, and he wasn’t given any choice, so he became exactly that. He became the big, bad, evil monster everyone was terrified he would be.

For a long time, Yuri didn’t know why his life was like that. Everyone at the Academy was turned into a soldier, and you either grew to enjoy the fight, enjoy the feeling of crushing those weaker than you, or you ran away from the battle itself. That was just a fact. But Yuri was the only one who was supposed to be evil. Yuri was the only one the Professor feared. Yuri didn’t know why, but he didn’t know to question it, either. All he could do was give the Professor something to be afraid of.

Now, of course, Yuri knew why. It was because of Zarc. Another person to define Yuri’s life for him. Yuri couldn’t really feel anything about it, though. Rebelling against it, being angry about it, wasn’t an option. Disobedience wasn’t tolerated. Knowing about Zarc didn’t really change anything, didn’t change the expectations Yuri had to live up to, so it didn’t mean much to him.

He knew exactly who he was, because he was told exactly who he was, and there was only one option for him to be. 

This life, though, was different.

Yuri spent his entire life preparing for war, he spent his entire life fighting on the battlefield. Now, all the sudden, he wasn’t supposed to fight. Suddenly, the skills that he was taught in school were completely different. Survival and strength were replaced by...how was writing supposed to save his life in battle? When he asked that question, though, apparently he wasn’t getting the point, but he still didn’t understand it. Joining his peers in meaningless conversation was important all the sudden, but Yuri only had experience talking to his peers to coordinate strategy. 

What tripped up Yuri more than anything about his new life, however, was the freedom.

Anyone could do anything, anyone could be anything! What people did with their lives was their choice, and they were allowed to approach their goals in the way that best suited to them. Find what makes you happy and do that for the rest of your life! 

Yuri grew up being what people told him what he was. He grew up living up to the expectations put on him. But now, the only expectation put on him was to do whatever made him happy. 

Freedom was a completely foreign concept to him. He never had a choice before. He certainly didn’t know how to choose what sort of life he wanted to live now.

These new expectations were hard. Yuri tried to live up to them. He did his schoolwork as best as he could, but some subjects he just couldn’t seem to grasp at all. (That would’ve been unacceptable at the academy. Yuri tried not to let it get to him, but he always failed). He tried to get along with the people around him, but he didn’t even know how to talk to people. He didn’t know what to say to any of them. Without fail, Yuri always managed to say something that made them look at him strangely. Yuri tried to figure out what he wanted to do with his life, but he barely knew what any of the options were, and he barely knew what he was supposed to be looking for in a path.

Life was a lot easier when everything was set in stone for him from the start.

Now, Yuri wasn’t a soldier or a monster anymore. And in the absence of that, he barely knew who he was.

The people who knew him before his life changed so abruptly tried to help him. Some were more successful than others. Some of them seemed like they only were trying because they felt like they had to. But Yuri didn’t know who he was around them, either. He didn’t know what to be or how to act. It was difficult on all parties, and Yuri was starting to wonder if he was a lost cause.

But he didn’t want to go back to his old life, either. He had no desire to go back to hurting whoever the Professor sent him after. He didn’t have it in him to enjoy it anymore.

After a lifetime of being either strong or dead, Yuri was now extremely weak. It was a testament to how different this life was that he wasn’t tossed aside by now.

How is someone supposed to know who they are? How do they find that out? Actually asking anyone that question wasn’t an option, though. If he did, people would just give him more strange looks. Even if he got an answer, at this point, Yuri wasn’t sure he would be able to understand it.

What was he supposed to do?

Yuri stopped in his commute from school to his housing unit. What was he supposed to do? He could actually answer that question for himself. He sat his backpack on the ground and pulled out an agenda from inside.

“Answer math problems from textbook by tomorrow,” he read aloud. “Read chapter of textbook by the end of the week. Write essay by the beginning of next week.”

The war was over. There was no one to fight or target. But Yuri was still receiving orders, and carrying out orders was, at least, something he knew how to do.

“By next week?” he muttered under his breath as he put his agenda away. “That’s too generous. There’s plenty of time to do it today.”

He picked up his backpack, but before he started walking again, something hit him in the face.

“What the f—“

Whatever it was, Yuri tried to wipe it off of him. He should’ve been more aware of his surroundings. Now he had to deal with whatever this was.

“Sorry.”

The green thing that just hit Yuri in the face...spoke? Now sitting in Yuri’s hand, it almost looked like a tiny green person with tiny purple eyes. Yuri poked it.

“Hey, cut that out!” The green thing snapped. “I said I was sorry. Leave me alone.”

Yuri held it closer to his face. “Identify yourself.”

The green thing looked up at him. “You can call me Windy. I’m an AI created from data related to dueling. Other than that, though, I don’t know how to answer that anymore.

Yuri blinked. “You don’t know what you are?”

“Pathetic, isn’t it?” Windy laughed. “I used to know who I was, but I was forced to change. Now, I’m just...pathetic.”

“If that makes you pathetic, then I suppose that makes two of us.”

Windy blinked. “You don’t know who you are, either? And you wanted me to identify myself? That seems a bit hypocritical.”

“A name would’ve been fine.” Yuri rolled his eyes. “I didn’t need your entire life story. But since you asked, no, I don’t know who I am. Not anymore.”

“I’ll tell you why I don’t know if you tell me why you don’t.”

They really were sharing their entire life stories with each other now, weren’t they? Yuri wasn’t about to reveal his weaknesses to a complete stranger. (He had enough trouble revealing his weaknesses to the few people he already knew).

“And why should I do that? Why should I tell you anything?”

“Other than the fact that it’s something we have in common? Something I don’t have in common with anyone else I know?” Windy asked. “Sometimes it’s easier to talk to a stranger. Maybe it’ll help, maybe it won’t. But the friends I have that I can talk...I can’t. Not about this.”

“If you’re so eager, then you go first.”

“Fair enough.”

Yuri still had no desire to share anything. But he didn’t know what to make of Windy, either. The more Windy talked, the easier it would be to figure out how he felt about him. Yuri knew how to listen.

“I knew exactly what I was, once. I was secure in who I was. But everything about me is made of data, and I’m easily changed, if you know how to. My friends know how to, of course. They’re AI made from dueling data, too, so of course they know. I just never thought about it, and definitely thought none of them ever would, until one of them did.”

“One of your friends...changed you.” Yuri was many things, but he wasn’t overly gifted with technology. He barely grasped what an artificial intelligence even was.

“Rewrote my entire personality. Made me act like a completely different person. Made me act just like himself, actually. He turned me into a pawn in his plans. I hurt someone important to me that I never would’ve hurt otherwise. I caused a lot of damage. I erased one of the best friends I’ve ever had...even if he was brought back, that doesn’t change what I’ve done. My other friends figured out what happened and fixed me back to how I used to be, but I still remember everything. I remember everything I did. And even if I’m different now, everything I did hasn’t just gone away.”

“It’s still a part of you. It changed you.”

“I’m not the person who did all that, but I’m not the person I used to be, either. I can’t pretend I am.”

“Your friends probably want you to just be who you were before, like nothing ever happened.”

“They say I shouldn’t blame myself. That I wasn’t myself. But I still did all those things, and I can’t act like I didn’t.”

“Then don’t act like you didn’t. Seems simple enough.”

“But if I’m not the Windy initially created, or the Windy that Lightning turned into his pawn, then who am I?”

“You didn’t like the things you did, did you? You feel guilt over it. So you’re the Windy that’s grown from that. You’re the Windy who no longer lets himself trust blindly, and who will try not to hurt the people that matter again. None of that makes you not Windy. You’re just a smarter Windy.”

Windy snorted. “You think trust makes people idiots? You’re something else.”

“Trust is earned, and is hard won. Of the people that actually matter, I barely trust any of them. It’s hard to be caught off guard that way. It’s hard to fail that way.”

“Fail?”

“Hard to lose that way. Or become a victim.”

“If your guard’s up that much just to prevent you from being hurt...” Windy mused. “You remind me of someone I know. He barely trusts anyone, either. He’s not very happy, most of the time. Doesn’t know how to be. That’s not really living, it’s just...trying to survive.”

“Yes, I’m trying to survive.” Why was that framed as a bad thing? Survival was important. “Aren’t we all trying to survive?”

“Surviving and living aren’t the same thing, you know. Look, it’s time to pay up. I talked first, now it’s your turn. Why don’t you know who you are? From what I can tell so far, this will be quite the story.”

Yuri wasn’t some open book for people to read as they pleased. But the green blob had a point. This was an exchange of information. Both parties had to play fair, or it could end in disaster. 

“I never had to ask myself who I was before. For years, that was answered for me. I knew what I was trained for, what I was supposed to do. I was given orders, and I carried them out. Failure was never an option, so I never failed. I never even asked myself why I was feared, why I was told I was inherently a bad person, I just accepted things as they were. I never questioned anything, even when I was told to kidnap people. Or fight them to the end.”

“Let me guess. You started asking questions at some point.”

“I got answers before I ever started to ask,” Yuri corrected. “I figured out why I didn’t have a choice in being a bad person. I actually did used to be someone else. Long story short, he became four different people, and I was one of them. I spent my entire life filled with the darkness, anger, and the desperate need to please that filled his soul. He was evil, so I was treated like I was, too, and I never let myself fail at living up to expectation. But then everything I knew changed. The life that I was living all this time is over now. I can’t go back to it, and I don’t want to. Everything about the old guy that made up who I was is gone now, too. It was separated from me. Still Yuri, but without the darkness and anger and people pleasing.”

“You don’t know how to change from that.”

“I don’t know how to be anything but who I used to be. I was told who I was and what to do for years, but now I have the freedom to decide that for myself, and suddenly it’s supposed to be easy? How am I supposed to figure out what kind of person I am? How am I supposed to figure out what I want to do with my life.”

“Sounds simple. You’re the same Yuri, but without your origin’s darkness and anger, and you’re not a people pleaser anymore.”

“Ah, I see.” Yuri rolled his eyes. “You’re a trickster, too. Mocking me with the same words I said to you.”

“Maybe, but I’m still serious. You don’t seem to care what people think about you much. Even if they think you’re kind of a jerk, or at least, very closed off. You’re a hard worker who isn’t afraid to put in effort. You probably don’t know how to not try your best at something. None of that seems to have changed, because you’ve had no problem being rude to me.” If Windy was offended by it, though, he didn’t show it. “You’re still a distrustful loner who holds people at arm’s length unless they’ve proven themself to you over and over. How many people do you even trust?”

Yuri counted out on his fingers. “No more than four, right now.”

“You haven’t changed much. You just never who you were in the first place. You’re great at conforming to expectations, but don’t know how to deal without them yet. You can learn, though. If my friends and I can, you certainly can. My recommendation? Get a hobby. At least a few, actually. Find ones that make you happy. You’ll know you actually enjoy them when you actually look forward to them throughout the day. That’s the first step.”

“You sound like my doctor.”

Windy groaned. “If you won’t listen to me, then listen to your doctor! Geez, if someone else already told you that, then why haven’t you figured it out yet.”

“I don’t know how to start a hobby, for one thing. I don’t know what kind to even start. I’ve dropped every single one I’ve tried within days.”

Windy sighed again. “Give me your deck.”

“No! Why should I? I don’t trust you, remember.”

“I’m a dueling AI, your cards will be safe with me. I’ll give them back. I just want to analyze your deck,” Windy explained. “Decks can be surprisingly telling about the people who use them.”

It wasn’t easy, but Yuri handed it over.

“You’re quite the schemer,” Windy muttered. “This seems obvious, but... You’ve tried growing plants, right? You’ve done that before?”

“I tend to the garden behind the building I stay in every day.”

“Right. You know what else is fun? Learning. Learning’s in with the kids, right? Learn about your favorite plants, learn about plants you’ve never heard of, too. Absorb every fact until you know every fact about every plant.”

“Another person trying to change my education. But as long as I don’t have to write about plants, I prefer that over the current school system.”

“We can figure out other ideas, too. There’s more to life than just plants, though that might take more than a couple of minutes of analyzation from me.”

“‘We’?” Suddenly, Yuri wanted this green thing out of his sight. “How long do you plan to stick around? Go home.”

“All the other AI like me have a human partner, but I don’t. I don’t have a person to go home to, and my old home on the network...no one else stays there anymore. Too quiet.”

“Then find a different human to bother.”

“Too late for that. You’re one of the most intriguing humans I’ve met. I’m curious. I want to see what happens next, where you go from here.” Windy stood up on Yuri’s hand. “It’s not like you can get rid of me anyway.” Carefully yet deliberately, Windy made his way over to the duel disk Yuri had on his wrist. He disappeared into its screen. “Remember, I’m a dueling AI. Convenient you don’t have one already. I can make my home inside of any duel disk.”

Yuri removed the duel disk from his wrist, turned it upside down, and shook it as if Windy would fall out.

“That’s...really not how it works,” Windy informed him.

“Get out of there.”

“Nah. Like I said, you can’t make me. You’re stuck with me. I’d apologize if I actually felt bad about it.”

“You’re a disgusting, horrible creature. You don’t know what kind of person you are now? There, I just told you. You’re a curse.”

“I’m looking forward to becoming better friends with you, too, partner.”

“Horrible!”

Great, yet another person forcing themselves into Yuri’s life, forcing him to be part of theirs. This was the last thing Yuri needed. But maybe he could make it work. Battle plans always fell apart if one couldn’t adapt on their feet, after all, and Yuri wasn’t a failure.

There were worse situations. This was still much preferable to having that idiot, Yugo, inside his brain 24/7. Yuri could make this work. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.

**Author's Note:**

> idk man whenever i think about winddy and the ignis and how each ignis would have a person to hang around with post-vrains besides windy, and like, who would windy hang around with, yuri's the first character that comes to mind. a lot of people def resolve it by giving windy to revolver and like of all the characters in vrains that's probably what i would do, too, if i had to give windy to someone i guess revolver would be the way to go? not too many good characters to go with that don't already have an associated ignis. but whenever i think about windy i just always immediately think of yuri
> 
> they've got some interesting, uh, similarities? i think it would be cool for them to meet.


End file.
